New Delhi: Warning students to refrain from enrolling in fake institutions, the UGC has released a list of 21 such bogus varsities of which eight are in Uttar Pradesh and six in Delhi.

In a notification issued today, the UGC has listed 21 fake universities - eight in UP, six in Delhi and one each in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal.

According to the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, only a university established by the Central/State/Provincial Act or an institution deemed to be university under Section 3 of the Act is allowed to call themselves as university.

Therefore, any institution that does not comply with the above rule is prohibited from using the term 'university' under Section 23 of the Act.

The six universities in Delhi which have been described as fake by the UGC include Varanseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya, Commercial University Ltd, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR-Central Juridical University and Indian Institution of Science and Engineering.

"Students and public at large are informed that such 21 self-styled and unrecognized institutions, functioning under the contravention of the UGC Act are declared as fake, and are not entitled to confer any degrees further," the UGC said in its notice.

UGC, the apex body for higher education, periodically comes out with a list of fake universities for the benefit of students.